Azeris in Georgia (country)

Azerbaijanis in Georgia

Azerbaijani women of Tiflis, 1910
Total population
284,761 (2002, census)
Regions with significant populations
Kvemo Kartli · Kakheti · Shida Kartli · Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Languages
Azerbaijani · Georgian
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Azerbaijanis: (Terekeme people, Karapapak) and Meskhetian Turks

Azerbaijanis in Georgia or Georgian Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijani: Gürcüstan azərbaycanlıları, Georgian: აზერბაიჯანელები საქართველოში) are Azerbaijani people in Georgia, and are Georgian citizens and permanent residents of ethnic Azerbaijani background. According to the 2002 census, there are 284,761 ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Georgia. Azerbaijanis comprise 6.5% of Georgia's population and are the country's largest ethnic minority, inhabiting mostly rural areas like Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Shida Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, a region broadly referred to as Borchali. There is also a historical Azerbaijani community in the capital city of Tbilisi (previously known as Tiflis) and smaller communities in other regions. There were some tensions in the late 1980s in the Azerbaijani-populated regions of Georgia; however, they never escalated to armed clashes.

Historically, Azeris in Georgia have succeeded in preserving their ethnic identity and have not been touched by ethnic and/or linguistic assimilation processes observed among many other ethnic communities in the country. Natalia Volkova explained this by the large size of the community and its tendency to being restricted to a specific geographical area. The other reason was that unlike most of their neighbours, Azeris historically adhered to Islam, which weakened possibilities of intermarriage or any other type of close contact with people of other faiths. Finally, the fact that the Azeri language for a long time enjoyed the status of the language of interethnic communication (see Language) reduced the need of knowing languages of the neighbours, preventing eventual language shift. Volkova noted that as of 1976, cases of assimilation of Azeris even in the smallest communities were unheard of.